Wandering Eyes

Updates on stewards' follow-ups to Friday and Sunday meetings View the full article

Gulfstream Park announced March 4 a 2019 Summer Stakes Schedule worth $3.775 million highlighted by Summit of Speed Day, featuring the $250,000 Princess Rooney (G2) and $250,000 Smile Sprint (G3), and the rich $1.4 million FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes. View the full article

Gulfstream Park’s 2019 Summer stakes schedule will be worth $3.775 million and will be highlighted by the June 29 Summit of Speed Day featuring the $250,000 GII Princess Rooney S. and $250,000 GIII Smile Sprint S. The summer season, which runs from Apr. 4 through Sept. 29, will also include the $1.4-million FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes. The series, for juveniles by nominated Florida stallions, kicks off Aug. 3 and continues Aug. 31 before concluding Sept. 28. Average daily purses for the four-day race week will be $315,000 and there will be $1 million in Florida-bred incentive rewards for all levels of 2-year-old races beginning in April. “The summer racing season at Gulfstream has grown every year and we’re looking forward to our best summer season ever,” said Gulfstream’s General Manager Bill Badgett. “With horsemen supporting our product and more horses being stabled in South Florida year-round, we will continue growing our product and working with all our partners.” Gulfstream also announced fifth to last-place finishers will receive a stipend of $750 or $500, depending on the race. “The summer should be strong,” said Stephen Screnci, President of the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association. “I’m also happy about the [$750 to $500] for running a horse because that’s a 15 or 20% reduction to owners every month in expenses.” View the full article

The GII Fountain of Youth S. this past Saturday was the only major GI Kentucky Derby prep of the weekend, but it produced five horses ranked within this week’s Top 12. This coming Saturday’s triple-header of preps at Santa Anita, Aqueduct and Tampa Bay Downs could be the first true make-or-break weekend that causes serious upheaval in the rankings. Get tied on and enjoy the ride. 1) WAR OF WILL (c, War Front—Visions of Clarity {Ire}, by Sadler’s Wells) O-Gary Barber. B-Flaxman Holdings Limited (KY). T-Mark Casse. Sales History: $175,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP; €250,000 2yo ’18 ARQMAY. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 7-3-1-1, $491,569. Last Start: 1st, GII Risen Star S., FG, Feb. 16 Accomplishments Include: 1st, GIII Lecomte S., FG, Jan. 19 Next Start: GII Louisiana Derby, FG, Mar. 23 Equineline PPs. Caulfield on War of Will. KY Derby Points: 60. Not only does War of Will own the most authoritative 2019 prep race victory, but of the A-list sophomores who have started within the past two months, he gives the best impression that there are still deeper reserves of talent that have not yet been tapped. This €250,000 ARQMAY War Front colt has a solid, broad foundation of seven races (six at a mile or longer), and his 3-for-3 dirt transition from some very tough grass races includes a win in the slop at Churchill Downs and overcoming post 13 in a two-turn Grade II stakes. War of Will stands out among Derby candidates for consistently running well in crowded fields, as none of his races have featured fewer than 11 entrants. Bear in mind that while still a maiden, War of Will was beaten only 3 1/2 lengths in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. If he had not been fanned four wide on both turns, he might have upset that race at 15-1 odds, and then his connections might have felt compelled to keep him on the lawn instead of pursuing a Derby path. A win in the GII Louisiana Derby would give War of Will a sweep of all three Fair Grounds 3YO qualifying stakes, a feat previously accomplished by eventual Derby contenders Girvin (2017), International Star (2015), Friesian Fire (2009), and Dixieland Heat (1993). 2) GAME WINNER (c, Candy Ride {Arg}—Indyan Giving, by A.P. Indy) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O-Gary & Mary West. B-Summer Wind Equine (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $110,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 4-4-0-0, $1,496,000. Last Start: 1st, GI Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile , CD, Nov. 2 Accomplishments Include: 1st, GI American Pharoah S., SA, Sept. 29; 1st, GI Del Mar Futurity, DMR, Sept. 3 Next Start: GII San Felipe S., SA, Mar. 9 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 30. ‘TDN Rising Star’ and juvenile champ Game Winner will square off against stablemate Improbable (City Zip) in Saturday’s GII San Felipe S., and it’s not often you see two undefeated horses from the same barn who are ranked within the top three of everybody’s Derby list going head to head in early March. This large-framed $110,000 KEESEP Candy Ride (Arg) colt proved at age two he has the mind and demeanor to overcome any obstacles encountered in his races, and anticipation will be high to see how he’s progressed since last seen uncorking a long, relentless drive at Churchill Downs to mow down a decent GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile field. Of particular interest will be how the pace scenario unfolds. Both Game Winner and Improbable are adept stalkers—will there be any sacrificial speed entered when the race is drawn on Wednesday? The relentless rain in the Santa Anita forecast also muddies the picture, and Baffert admitted last week that the elements have been a challenge to conditioning. “From here on out we can’t miss much time, and I don’t like the weather coming this next week,” he said. “I was training them very light during the month of January…Hopefully I’d like to get a breeze in before [Saturday] but I don’t know. I might not have a chance.” 3) IMPROBABLE (c, City Zip—Rare Event, by A.P. Indy) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O-WinStar Farm LLC, China Horse Club International Ltd. & Starlight Racing. B-St. George Farm LLC & G. Watts Humphrey Jr. (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $110,000 Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $200,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISW, 3-3-0-0, $269,520. Last Start: 1st, GI Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity, LRC, Dec. 8 Accomplishments Include: 1st, Street Sense S., CD, Nov. 2; Next Start: Possible for GII Rebel S., OP, Mar. 16 Equineline PPs. Caulfield on Improbable. KY Derby Points: 10. When Triple Crown winner Justify went to the farm from Del Mar last summer, trainer Bob Baffert gave Improbable the honor of moving into his vacated stall. And when Improbable’s big white blaze flashed home first in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity in December, Baffert compared this $200,000 KEESEP City Zip colt favorably to Justify by noting that this ‘TDN Rising Star’ has a long stride similar to the champ’s. Improbable enters 2019 undefeated at 3-for-3, yet despite two daylight-margin stakes wins, one unchecked box is how well he will handle deep-stretch adversity against top-of-the-crop sophomores. In his only two stakes starts, Improbable has yet to have to fight back against a serious late-race bid. That will likely change when he goes up against stablemate Game Winner in the San Felipe S. Back on Breeders’ Cup weekend, there was speculation over whether Improbable’s 7 1/4-length undercard romp in the Street Sense S. was a more promising long-term indicator of Derby prowess than Game Winner’s emphatic score in the Juvenile. This Saturday, we’ll be one step closer to finding out. 4) CODE OF HONOR (c, Noble Mission {GB}—Reunited, by Dixie Union) O/B-W. S. Farish (KY). T-Shug McGaughey. Sales History: $70,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 4-2-1-0, $384,820. Last Start: 1st, GII Fountain of Youth S., GP, Mar. 2 Next Start: Possible for GI Florida Derby, GP, Mar. 30 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 54. Code of Honor proved himself to be a nimble, agile midpack closer by winning the Fountain of Youth S. But good horses are supposed to capitalize on perfect trips and pace setups, so like Improbable ranked above, he’s going to have to show yet another “overcomes adversity” dimension (like he did when second in the GI Champagne S.) before his Derby bandwagon gets crowded. Last Saturday, a huge longshot drew favorite Hidden Scroll (Hard Spun) into a cutthroat speed duel while this first-crop Noble Mission (GB) homebred saved ground for most of the race. Code of Honor angled off the fence midway on the far turn to split horses, and did it again turning for home when he assertively claimed space in front of an overmatched Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}). Code of Honor didn’t shy when racing in close quarters alongside the more physically imposing (but tiring) Hidden Scroll through the lane and was kept to task to through the finish while responding to mild urging, but the onrushing Bourbon War (Tapit) was past him a jump after the wire. The GI Florida Derby is trainer Shug McGuaghey’s next-race preference, but he also mentioned the GII Wood Memorial S. and GII Blue Grass S. as outside possibilities. 5) DREAM MAKER (c, Tapit–To Dream About, by Monarchos) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O/B-John C. Oxley (KY). T-Mark Casse. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0, $72,850. Last Start: 1st, Allowance/Optional Claiming, FG, Feb. 9. Next Start: GII Tampa Bay Derby, TAM, Mar. 9 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 0. The female family of ‘TDN Rising Star’ Dream Maker bears the stamp of owner/breeder John Oxley’s better-known campaigners from several decades back. Dam-sire Monarchos won the 2001 Derby after being purchased at auction by Oxley, and second dam Beautiful Pleasure was another Oxley-bought fan favorite who was voted champion older mare in 1999 after winning the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The Grade II Tampa Bay Derby on Saturday seems well within Dream Maker’s scope, and he’ll likely start favored based on his rip-roaring return to form with an 8 1/2-length, two-turn Fair Grounds allowance win Feb. 9 that included Dream Maker tearing off for an extended gallop-out after the finish. He breezed :49 for a half mile (26/87) with regular rider Florent Geroux this past Saturday, and David Carroll, who oversees trainer Mark Casse’s Fair Grounds division, said “we wanted to stretch his legs the last eighth. He finished up beautifully; it was a typical gallop out for him. He’s in a great place so hopefully he can take his game on to Tampa.” 6) HIDDEN SCROLL (c, Hard Spun–Sheba Queen, by Empire Maker) ‘TDN Rising Star’ O/B-Juddmonte Farms, Inc. (KY). T-William I. Mott. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $50,600. Last Start: 4th, GII Fountain of Youth S., GP, Jan. 26 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 5. ‘TDN Rising Star’ Hidden Scroll reportedly exited his fourth-place Fountain of Youth S. finish in good order, and his reputation did not get as banged up as one might expect when a highly hyped 6-5 favorite loses. Saturday’s Derby prep race at Gulfstream was the toughest one on paper all year, and this Hard Spun-sired Juddmonte homebred was entering it off a freakishly fast maiden debut romp. He overcame getting bumped offstride at the break but then got hooked into a too-fast (:22.80, :45.69) speed duel with a 132-1 shot who eventually faded to last, but on the far turn Hidden Scroll did adeptly repulse first- and second-run challengers before being softened up enough to give way when confronted by Code of Honor’s fresh stretch bid. “He ran good. It makes you wonder—should we have chosen an easier spot?” trainer Bill Mott said post-race. Although next-race plans are not yet firm, Juddmonte’s U.S. racing manager, Garrett O’Rourke, told TDN on Sunday that Hidden Scroll would likely remain on the Derby trail. He’ll have no shortage of backers in the betting if he goes in the Florida Derby. 7) INSTAGRAND (c, Into Mischief—Assets of War, by Lawyer Ron) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O-OXO Equine LLC. B-Stoneway Farm (KY). T-Jerry Hollendorfer. Sales History: $190,000 Ylg ’17 FTKJUL; $1,200,000 2yo ’18 FTFMAR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $144,000. Last Start: 1st, GII Best Pal S., DMR, Aug. 11 Next Start: GIII Gotham S., AQU, Mar. 9 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 0. Instagrand (Into Mischief) is heading to New York this Saturday for his long-anticipated comeback off what will be a 211-day layoff. You don’t often see top-level Southern California-based sophomores shipping East for Derby preps this early in the season, but Santa Anita’s recent wet weather, track closures, tough local competition for the same-day San Felipe S., and the distance of the GIII Gotham S. all factored into the decision for this $1.2 million FTFMAR co-sales-topping colt to hit the road. “After discussing races with [owner Larry Best] we decided that would be the best race for him,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said last week, noting that the comparatively shorter Aqueduct stakes “seems to be a better place to start going a one-turn mile rather than a mile and a sixteenth at Santa Anita. He’s been off for a while.” But the Gotham will be no cakewalk either for this ‘TDN Rising Star,’ who is likely to start favored even if Mind Control (Stay Thirsty), Much Better (Pioneerof the Nile), and possibly Knicks Go (Paynter) all turn up in the entries when the race is drawn Wednesday. 8) SIGNALMAN (c, General Quarters–Trip South, by Trippi) O-Tommie M. Lewis, David A. Bernsen, LLC & Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek). B-Monticule (KY). T-Kenneth G McPeek. Sales History: $32,000 Ylg ’17 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: GSW & MGISP, 5-2-2-1, $448,990. Last Start: 7th, GII Fountain of Youth S., GP, Mar. 2 Accomplishments Include: 1st, GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., CD, Nov. 24 Next Start: Likely for GII Fountain of Youth S., GP, Mar. 2 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 18. Despite not being able to close into a too-fast Fountain of Youth pace that set up ideally for his late-running style, Signalman ranks higher than the second- and third-place finishers out of that race because he has the most realistic chance for major form-reversal improvement. Trainer Ken McPeek was on record prior to the race as saying that this $32,000 FTKOCT General Quarters colt didn’t need to win his 2019 debut to remain a viable Derby candidate, and he remains confident that a different horse will emerge in the GII Blue Grass S. “I think I undercooked him for the race, for one,” McPeek told TVG Sunday. “I’ll take the bullet on that. He also came back and lost a shoe in the race.” He noted that Signalman will be paired in morning training with GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Restless Rider (Distorted Humor), who could very well be the fastest 3YO in the barn. “Signalman and Restless Rider, they’re going to be workmates for the rest of the winter here,” McPeek told TVG. “I think that actually is ideal. It reminds me of when I had [MGSWs] Take Charge Lady and Repent [in 2002]. We got those horses ready [together], and they ran some huge races off the layoff that winter.” 9) ROADSTER (c, Quality Road–Ghost Dancing, by Silver Ghost) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O-Speedway Stable LLC. B-Stone Farm (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $525,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISP, 2-1-0-1, $72,000. Last Start: 1st, Allowance/Optional Claiming, SA, Mar. 1 Next Start: GI Santa Anita Derby, SA, Apr. 6 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 0. ‘TDN Rising Star’ Roadster was the “now” juvenile within Bob Baffert’s deeply stocked stable last summer. But a displaced soft palate that required throat surgery knocked this $525,000 KEESEP Quality Road gray out of action after an odds-on defeat to stablemate Game Winner in the GI Del Mar Futurity. His comeback win in a five-horse allowance mile at Santa Anita last Friday is a welcome sign to his connections that his breathing difficulties are no longer an in-race issue. But Roadster scored under such ideal conditions—stalking a 70-1 pacemaker through moderate splits while 3-5 fave Nolo Contesto (Pioneerof the Nile) never really fired—that the effort doesn’t give us a crystal-clear indicator of how he’ll fare against stakes company. Roadster does not yet have any Kentucky Derby qualifying points, but rather than targeting a 50-pointer that might offer easier pickings out of town like the Mar. 24 GIII Sunland Derby, Baffert told Daily Racing Form on Sunday that “I think I’ll run him in the [GI] Santa Anita Derby. I’d rather run at home.” 10) MUCHO GUSTO (c, Mucho Macho Man—Itsagiantscauseway, by Giant’s Causeway) ‘TDN Rising Star’ O-Michael Lund Petersen. B-Teneri Farm Inc. & Bernardo Alvarez Calderon (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $14,000 Ylg ’17 KEEJAN; $95,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP; $55,000 RNA 2yo ’18 OBSMAR; $625,000 2yo ’18 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: MGSW & GISP, 4-3-1-0, $234,000. Last Start: 1st, GIII Robert B. Lewis S., SA, Feb. 2 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 14. ‘TDN Rising Star’ Mucho Gusto is on the traveling team for trainer Bob Baffert, and will try and build on his 3-for-4 record in either the GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Mar. 16 or the Sunland Derby at Sunland Park Mar. 24. Under regular rider Joe Talamo, this $625,000 EASMAY first-crop Mucho Macho Man colt co-bulleted with a maiden 3YO filly workmate Feb. 28 at Santa Anita after spotting her two lengths at the start of their :47.60 (1/20) half-mile drill. Learning to relax in stalk mode has been the purpose of Mucho Gusto’s recent stakes win and subsequent training. When you consider that his only defeat was a second-place effort against odds-on stablemate Improbable in December’s GI Los Alamitos Futurity (when Mucho Gusto ambitiously tried to wire the field in his first attempt at two turns), you’d have to think that the continued benefit of seasoning/maturity will harmonize well with his stamina-centric pedigree (by a Breeders’ Cup Classic winner out of a Giant’s Causeway mare). 11) BOURBON WAR (c, Tapit–My Conquestadory, by Artie Schiller) O-Bourbon Lane Stable & Lake Star Stable. B-Conquest Stables (KY). T-Mark Hennig. Sales History: $410,000 Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $525,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSP, 4-2-1-0, $155,100. Last Start: 2nd, GII Fountain of Youth S., GP, Mar. 2 Next Start: Possible for GI Florida Derby, GP, Mar. 30 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 21. Did Bourbon War march into contention with a bold late run to aggressively grab second in the Fountain of Youth S., or was his late kick into a melted-down pace just an artifact of how the race collapsed for a closer? Your perspective on that question determines how highly you’d rank this $525,000 KEESEP Tapit colt’s try last Saturday. Most importantly, Bourbon War did surge past winner Code of Honor a jump after the wire. “He’s a horse that likes to run. I really liked his stride the last sixteenth. He just lowered his head and he really knew what he wanted,” trainer Mark Hennig said. “[Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.] said he kind of had to wait a little at the quarter pole for some room, but he said he didn’t want to ask him and have to check. So he said he waited and waited and he was just humming down the stretch… I don’t know if you always get that pace setup, but I think he’s proven he doesn’t need a pace setup. If they’re going slower he’ll race a little closer.” The Florida Derby could be next. “He’s also won at Aqueduct,” Hennig added, meaning the Wood Memorial could also be in play. 12) VEKOMA (c, Candy Ride {Arg}—Mona de Momma, by Speightstown) O-R. A. Hill Stable & Gatsas Stables. B-Alpha Delta Stables, LLC (KY). T-George Weaver. Sales History: $135,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-0-1, $188,850. Last Start: 3rd, GII Fountain of Youth S., GP, Mar. 2 Accomplishments Include: 1st, GIII Nashua S., AQU, Nov. 4 Next Start: Possible for GI Florida Derby, GP, Mar. 30 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 10. I had some doubts about Vekoma going into the Fountain of Youth S. off a four-month layoff. As a May 22 foal who had only two (albeit undefeated) races under his belt, he had exhibited stretch greenness in both wins, and he was targeting the deepest stakes yet on the Derby prep calendar. But this $135,000 KEESEP Candy Ride (Arg) colt showed enough spark on Saturday to make me think he’s got some overachievement in him. Racing for the first time on Lasix, he broke alertly and carved out a sweet stalking spot as the leader of the second flight while four paths off the rail down the backstretch behind the rip-away speed duel and a third-place chaser. Approaching the top of the lane, Vekoma got second run on favored pacemaker Hidden Scroll but never totally uncoiled, and when eventual winner Code of Honor outmuscled him for position Vekoma became unfocused and resorted to shifting and drifting laterally. Still, he persisted with his run to finish third while not being overly abused in deep stretch, and if you view this effort through a “work in progress” lens, it will likely serve as a useful stepping stone to a nine-furlong stakes try. On the bubble (alphabetical order): Avie’s Flatter (Flatter): Top 2YO Canadian kingpin on target for Tampa Bay Derby. Country House (Lookin At Lucky): Mott trainee on Top 12 periphery after green but game second behind War of Will in Risen Star S. Galilean (Uncle Mo): Jerry Hollendorfer-trained 3-for-4 California-bred likely to get a shot in open-company Derby prep stakes start. Growth Engine (Tapit): Chad Brown-trained two-turn MSW winner at Gulfstream could resurface in stakes try. Gunmetal Gray (Exchange Rate): Deep threat could capitalize if pace sizzles and fizzles in Saturday’s San Felipe. Harvey Wallbanger (Congrats): Last-to-first upset winner of Holy Bull S. still on target for GI Florida Derby at nine furlongs. Knicks Go (Paynter): With Tampa tightener under his belt, could be a sneaky upset choice if he goes in the one-turn mile Gotham S. Mihos (Cairo Prince): ‘TDN Rising Star’ lurking as figurative dark horse for presumed late March/early April stakes start. Mind Control (Stay Thirsty): Can factor as one of the faves in Saturday’s Gotham S., but lack of two-turn success and sprint-oriented female pedigree have relegated him out of Top 12 for now. Mucho (Blame): ‘TDN Rising Star’ was odds-on sprint winner at Gulfstream on Saturday off six-month layoff for Mott; stakes stretchout under consideration. Sueno (Atreides): SoCal shipper achieved better-than-looks second in Oaklawn’s Southwest S. last time out. Well Defined (With Distinction): Meets tougher cast of characters in Tampa Bay Derby after 7-1 wire job when fave failed to fire in Davis S. Win Win Win (Hat Trick {Jpn}): Three Tampa bullets off 7 1/4-length track-record 7f stakes score there in prep for Tampa Bay Derby. Geez, do you think he handles that track pretty well? View the full article

Code of Honor's breakout triumph in the grade 2 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes March 2 at Gulfstream Park allowed the Noble Mission colt to jump into the top five of this week's NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll. View the full article

Code of Honor's breakout triumph in the grade 2 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes March 2 at Gulfstream Park allowed the Noble Mission (GB) colt to jump into the top five of this week's NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll. View the full article

New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program will host its fourth annual Open Barn and BBQ event Apr. 26 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Guests will be welcomed to tour the facility on Mereworth Farm and the evening will include a Southern-style dinner, drinks and live music, followed by an hour-long educational demonstration in the indoor arena. Adoptable horses will be presented in-hand, after which international event rider Nick Larkin will offer his perspective on the retraining process of off-track Thoroughbreds. New for the 2019 event, an online auction will open at noon Apr. 19, and close at the conclusion of the Open Barn and BBQ. The auction will include unique experiences and opportunities, such as a private tour of Spy Coast Farm; a lesson with four-star rider Nick Larkin; a fantastic home decor piece from The Tack Shop of Lexington; a Tipperary vest and much more. For more information, visit www.newvocations.org. View the full article

Shon McLain has joined the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s Board of Directors. McLain founded Saratoga Strategic Partners 12 years ago. Before becoming a financial planner, he worked for 10 years as a foreman for trainer D. Wayne Lukas. “Shon brings a passion and knowledge of the Thoroughbred industry to our organization as well as deep ties within the Saratoga Springs community. We are thrilled to have him on our team to further the mission of the TRF and increase awareness of Thoroughbred aftercare,” said TRF CEO John P. Roche. “We are all looking forward to working with Shon. TRF will benefit from his years of hands-on experience working directly with Thoroughbred racehorses.” McLain added, “I wanted to be involved with the TRF mostly because of my background in racing. I have been involved with Little League and PTAs and now that my kids are older, I wanted to also help out a local cause that was personal to me. I wanted to be involved because of all that racing and racehorses have given me.” View the full article

Jeltrin (Tapizar), A Thread of Blue (Hard Spun) and Cambier Parc (Medaglia d’Oro) each won graded stakes at Gulfstream Park Saturday and earned Keeneland September Sale Bonuses for their sellers at the 2017 yearling sale. Jeltrin, a $7,000 Keeneland September graduate, earned a $7,500 Seller Bonus for Corner Woods Farm, the filly’s owner at the time of sale, for her win in the GII Davona Dale S. A Thread of Blue won the GIII Palm Beach S. to earn a $5,000 Seller Bonus for Flaxman Holdings, which sold the colt for $150,000 in 2017. A $1.25-million Keeneland September yearling, Cambier Parc won the GIII Herecomesthebride S. and generated a $5,000 Seller Bonus for Bonne Chance Farm. The September Sale Seller Bonus Program, initiated in 2017, offers cash rewards to sellers of horses sold at the September Sale who win Grade/Group 1, 2 or 3 stakes as a 2- or 3-year-old. Sellers receive cash rewards based on the following criteria: $10,000 Seller Bonus for the first Grade/Group 1 stakes win; $7,500 for the first Grade/Group 2 win; and $5,000 for the first Grade/Group 3 victory. View the full article

Registration is now open for the 18th annual Track Superintendents Field Day which will be held June 24 through June 26 at Charles Town. Jolene Brown will be the event’s keynote speaker. Other featured speakers include Terry Meycocks of the Jockeys’ Guild, Corey Johnsen of Kentucky Downs, Sal Sinatra of the Maryland Jockey Club, and Chris McErlean of Penn National Gaming. “With world-class speakers covering topics like best safety practices for equine ambulances and surface maintenance, the 2019 event is shaping up as the best yet,” said Roy Smith, the event’s founder. “Time has proven that the information shared and the industry networking are valuable resources relied upon long after the event concludes. In furtherance of that, numerous speakers and topics discussed will provide rewarding educational experiences for the attending racing surfaces professionals.” The event is open to all track superintendents and their staff. The Superintendents is an independent group which meets annually to discuss the best practices related to maintenance, safety and operational issues for racing and training facilities worldwide. Visit www.tracksupers.com for more information. View the full article

Longtime owner and breeder John “Jack” Oxley will be honored with the Dinny Phipps Award at a celebration of The Jockey Club’s 125th anniversary in New York City June 6, the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced Monday. The award was created in 2017 by Earle Mack in memory of Phipps and to recognize individuals who have demonstrated dedication to equine health. “Jack’s dedication to equine health and wellness epitomizes the spirit of the Dinny Phipps Award, and I am pleased to bestow this honor on such a deserving individual,” said Mack. Grayson chairwoman Dell Hancock added, “We are incredibly grateful for Jack’s support of Grayson and equine research. From his generous pledges to his participation on our board of directors, he is an inspiration to all of us who are committed to horses.” Oxley campaigned GI Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos, as well as champions Classic Empire and Beautiful Pleasure. A member of Grayson’s board of directors, he created the Oxley Challenge in 2004, by which the Oxley foundation pledged to donate $1 million to Grayson over four years contingent on Grayson’s raising an equal amount of funds. “I’m very flattered and humbled to receive this award,” said Oxley. “I’m extremely honored because Dinny Phipps was a great friend, and I think he did more for racing and Grayson than any other man in the sport.” The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, a leading source of private funding for equine medical research that benefits all breeds of horses, has provided $26 million to fund 358 projects at 43 universities since 1983. View the full article

It’s always among the key questions on everyone’s mind as 2-year-olds begin racing when Keeneland opens in April and the first-year sires have their first chance to show off their progeny. In this ongoing series, we have sought the opinion of several top judges as to who will be on top of the podium when 2019 is in the books. Eddie Woods, Pinhooker and Pre-Trainer AMERICAN PHAROAH “First of all, it’s a great group. But I would have to say Pharoah. Mentally, they have all kinds of quality. I’ve had 12. They move beautifully. I do wonder how quick they’re going to be. They’re not like early, early, 2 year-olds, but they’ll be quality horses at the end of the day. They’re not ‘sprintery’ sorts. They’re fancy moving horses that look like they’ll be two-turn horses. The other thing he has working for him is volume. There are a lot of them out there. “I’ll be selling four Pharoahs at the 2-year-old sales. I have one in OBS March that is a beautiful big horse and I have another one going to Fasig-Tipton who is a gorgeous horse. I expect they will sell very well. “A sleeper? Could you call Tonalist a sleeper? Then he’s my pick. They are nice horses, good movers, great natured. I have five.” View the full article

A full rundown of horse racing television and radio for the week leading up to four Road to the Kentucky Derby races scheduled Saturday, March 9. View the full article

There’s something quintessential, romantic in the Hollywood sense, about the notion of casting off the corporate shackles of an existence dictated by the ticking wall-clock for a life governed by the sun and the stars and the seasons. The city slicker turned cowboy, emancipated from the daily grind. The Wall Street hotshot who replaces the stock-market with the market-garden. In most cases, that dream is simple–an opportunity to get back to the land. Chickens and goats in the back-yard. A few fruit trees, perhaps. A vegetable garden to put food on the dinner plate and a few coins in the pocket. A hand-to-mouth existence that harkens to an agrarian ideal of days past. Not so for Tim Cohen, whose family purchased nearly 20 years ago a 6000-acre plot of land in California’s Ventura County, and transformed it from a cattle ranch and oil field into what it is today: a sprawling topographic tangle of fruit groves, emerald pastures and horse farm. “I used to manage luxury hotels and restaurants. Now, I manage luxury horse facilities,” said Cohen, about his former life as a corporate suit. “What I knew about water and dirt was don’t bring the dirt in the house, and water went well with Scotch. Now I know a lot more about dirt and water, so it’s been a great educational experience.” At Rancho Temescal, you’ll find about 100 acres of avocado trees that produce a million pounds of fruit a year. Some 100 acres of citrus trees recently yielded 4 1/2 million pounds of lemons. Rows and rows of blackberry vines are wrapped in plastic. A small beef herd roam the hills that hold the farm in the palm of a giant green velvet glove. {"id":3,"instanceName":"Articles No Playlist","videos":[{"videoType":"HTML5","title":"Tim Cohen at Rancho Temescal","description":"","info":"","thumbImg":"","mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/320045844.sd.mp4?s=ab5ba45dd31156057c82c9ce032090f66f083ac3&profile_id=165","enable_mp4_download":"no","prerollAD":"yes","prerollGotoLink":"prerollGotoLink","preroll_mp4_title":"preroll_mp4_title","preroll_mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/315079711.sd.mp4?s=8b8e45224cc04875900fe1b40e9fbac2f987e4fc&profile_id=165","prerollSkipTimer":"5","midrollAD":"no","midrollAD_displayTime":"midrollAD_displayTime","midrollGotoLink":"midrollGotoLink","midroll_mp4":"midroll_mp4","midrollSkipTimer":"midrollSkipTimer","postrollAD":"no","postrollGotoLink":"postrollGotoLink","postroll_mp4":"postroll_mp4","postrollSkipTimer":"postrollSkipTimer","popupAdShow":"no","popupImg":"popupImg","popupAdStartTime":"popupAdStartTime","popupAdEndTime":"popupAdEndTime","popupAdGoToLink":"popupAdGoToLink"}],"instanceTheme":"light","playerLayout":"fitToContainer","videoPlayerWidth":720,"videoPlayerHeight":405,"videoRatio":1.7777777777778,"videoRatioStretch":true,"videoPlayerShadow":"effect1","colorAccent":"#000000","posterImg":"","posterImgOnVideoFinish":"","logoShow":"No","logoPath":"","logoPosition":"bottom-right","logoClickable":"No","logoGoToLink":"","allowSkipAd":true,"advertisementTitle":"Ad","skipAdvertisementText":"Skip Ad","skipAdText":"You can skip this ad in","playBtnTooltipTxt":"Play","pauseBtnTooltipTxt":"Pause","rewindBtnTooltipTxt":"Rewind","downloadVideoBtnTooltipTxt":"Download video","qualityBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Close settings","qualityBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Settings","muteBtnTooltipTxt":"Mute","unmuteBtnTooltipTxt":"Unmute","fullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Fullscreen","exitFullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Exit fullscreen","infoBtnTooltipTxt":"Show info","embedBtnTooltipTxt":"Embed","shareBtnTooltipTxt":"Share","volumeTooltipTxt":"Volume","playlistBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Show playlist","playlistBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Hide playlist","facebookBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Facebook","twitterBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Twitter","googlePlusBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Google+","lastBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to last video","firstBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to first video","nextBtnTooltipTxt":"Play next video","previousBtnTooltipTxt":"Play previous video","shuffleBtnOnTooltipTxt":"Shuffle on","shuffleBtnOffTooltipTxt":"Shuffle off","nowPlayingTooltipTxt":"NOW PLAYING","embedWindowTitle1":"SHARE THIS PLAYER:","embedWindowTitle2":"EMBED THIS VIDEO IN YOUR SITE:","embedWindowTitle3":"SHARE LINK TO THIS PLAYER:","lightBox":false,"lightBoxAutoplay":false,"lightBoxThumbnail":"","lightBoxThumbnailWidth":400,"lightBoxThumbnailHeight":220,"lightBoxCloseOnOutsideClick":true,"onFinish":"Play next video","autoplay":false,"loadRandomVideoOnStart":"No","shuffle":"No","playlist":"Off","playlistBehaviourOnPageload":"opened (default)","playlistScrollType":"light","preloadSelfHosted":"none","hideVideoSource":true,"showAllControls":true,"rightClickMenu":true,"autohideControls":2,"hideControlsOnMouseOut":"No","nowPlayingText":"Yes","infoShow":"No","shareShow":"No","facebookShow":"No","twitterShow":"No","mailShow":"No","facebookShareName":"","facebookShareLink":"","facebookShareDescription":"","facebookSharePicture":"","twitterText":"","twitterLink":"","twitterHashtags":"","twitterVia":"","googlePlus":"","embedShow":"No","embedCodeSrc":"","embedCodeW":720,"embedCodeH":405,"embedShareLink":"","youtubeControls":"custom controls","youtubeSkin":"dark","youtubeColor":"red","youtubeQuality":"default","youtubeShowRelatedVideos":"Yes","vimeoColor":"00adef","showGlobalPrerollAds":false,"globalPrerollAds":"url1;url2;url3;url4;url5","globalPrerollAdsSkipTimer":5,"globalPrerollAdsGotoLink":"","videoType":"HTML5 (self-hosted)","submit":"Save Changes","rootFolder":"http:\/\/wp.tdn.pmadv.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/Elite-video-player\/"} Then you get to the horse side of things. There’s a mission-flavor to a Spanish style main barn with 23 stalls, some of them for foaling. There are 25 sand pens, two mare motels, and a pick-and-mix of pastures. Two-hundred of the farm’s 6,000 acres are devoted to the horses. Parts of the ranch are used for filming shows like Westworld. If there’s a visitor’s book, you’ll find names like Tom Cruise, Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in it. Cohen’s reading of events glosses over the enormity of the task he and his father set themselves. As Cohen tells it, he knew nothing of farming when they first purchased the ranch. The abrupt career change necessitated a crash-course in things like soil management, growing cycles, climate and water conservation. “I always tell my kids that there wasn’t a day that I ever woke up I dreamt that I was a farmer,” said Cohen, dispelling the romantic notion of any long-held back-to-the-land yearnings, along with its inherent challenges. “It’s a little riskier here where we farm,” he said, alluding to the existential threats from all around (more on this later). As for the racehorses–which often run under both Rancho Temescal and the Red Baron’s Barn banner–Cohen admits his role has always been more of a secondary one to his father, Jed. That was until a few years ago, when Darrell Vienna, who for the longest time had been Jed’s sole trainer, decided to retire after 40 years with a license. “That’s when I took a more proactive position in managing my dad’s stable, and then also the ranch,” said Cohen. The horses were distributed around a bunch of barns: Jeff Mullins, Jack Carava, Ed Freeman, Mark Glatt, Jim Cassidy and John Martin. And the slump the stable had been under for a while began to slowly lift. “It had taken a downturn I think for a variety of reasons,” he said, about the stable’s quiet years after a boom period in the early 2000s, when the likes of Janet and Suances were Grade I-winning performers. “It just wasn’t that much fun for my dad, and the stable wasn’t doing well, not for lack of effort.” Jed Cohen agrees. “I was getting too used to running out–that’s not a good thing,” he said, before turning his attention to the recent boom period. “I’ve never experienced a run with horses like that. Nice to have it happen.” During the last fruitful few years, the Mullins trained Itsinthepost (Fr) (American Post {GB}) has mopped up no less than seven Grade IIs. The Glatt-trained Sharp Samurai (First Samurai) is a four-time graded stakes winner, last pinching the GII City of Hope Mile S. at Santa Anita in October. River Boyne (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) finished second in last December’s GI Hollywood Derby. Back in the day, Jed was an economic advisor to JFK. Now, he has a Beverly Hills-based investment advisory business. Much the stable’s recent success, he said, has been down to shrewd horse selection, many of them procured from Europe. “Just look at River Boyne,” he said, of the former Gordon Elliott-trained colt. “I’ve been in the business nearly sixty years, and I’ve often thought, ‘boy, would I love to have a horse like that.’ And what do I do? I end up with this midget of a horse who’s been phenomenal.” Nevertheless, as the stable’s fortunes have grown, the stable itself has undergone a bit of pruning. The stable “peaked,” said Tim Cohen, with about 40 horses at the track and as many as 60 mares, he said. “That’s when we were trying to establish Suances as a stallion.” Now, they have between 40 and 45 in training, with another 10 two-year-olds being broken. But they’re down to about 15 mares. Part of the reason is pragmatism–Suances didn’t take flight as a stallion. Not that the Cohens are governed by their bottom line. “Our expectation isn’t necessarily economics. Right?” said Cohen. “If racing didn’t drive some other satisfaction other than economics, I think a lot of us wouldn’t be in racing. My father, who’s been racing for almost 60 years now, that’s his passion. This component of the ranch is because of his passion, not because of economics.” Nevertheless, despite the success the stable has enjoyed these past few years, “you can’t eliminate the economic component of horse racing entirely,” Cohen said. “People go, ‘oh, you had the best year ever.’ And I go, ‘yes, we lost the least amount ever,’ right? The joy of it hasn’t changed, the economics have, and I’m not as bullish on racing in California as I would’ve been five years ago.” One reason for that has to do with what Cohen sees as a fractured dialogue between the four main interests in the state: the horsemen, the owners, the track operators and the regulators. “At the end of the day, it’s like four divorcees in a room,” he said. “Nobody talks to anybody and I think everybody is trying to protect their interests, which at the end of the day, really should be one common interest.” An antidote would involve “more integration of people,” he said. “I think I shouldn’t be wondering what Santa Anita’s doing. I shouldn’t be wondering what the racing secretary is thinking about. I don’t see a whole lot of conversation back and forth where they’re meeting with people and saying, ‘hey, what are we doing?’ We’re all in this together, right? You can’t control the economics, but you can control the expectations and you can control discussions and make people part of the process so that they understand it. But all this stuff behind doors and not communicating, it’s just–it’s frustrating.” As to the prize money levels in California, “it is what it is,” he said. “We’d all love for higher purses, right? But I think the purse level is okay.” Same with the limited training facilities. “I think there are ways to resolve that.” Rather, there needs to be a greater focus on ways to “upgrade the entry process,” and to take a “better inventory” of horses on the backside, so that racetrack operators “can write races that keep horses in California at all levels,” he said. Ultimately, he sees a lack of “consistency” in the races being carded. “I need full fields. I need the races to go. But I also need to understand and plan ahead,” he said. “When are those races going to be? And if they’re not in the book, why are they not in the book? I think there’s a lot of people who are interested in doing this as a business and as a passion, and when you start getting frustrated on the passion side, and the business isn’t there, people go away, right?” He’s buoyed by Fasig-Tipton’s latest foray into California, when they’ll conduct two sales at Santa Anita this year. Their first auction, a 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, is slated for June 5, followed by a Fall Yearling Sale penciled in for Sept. 25. “I hope they bring some organization and some consistency, and I think they’ll have a great opportunity out here.” Nevertheless, the product needs to be commercially appealing, Cohen warned. “You can only sell what’s in the sale,” he said. “And so, if we’re not breeding a commercial product, you can put on sales all day long. It won’t sell.” The Cohen’s own foray into the commercial market with Suances was a learning curve, he said. “Yeah, I learned that buying 40 mares wasn’t going to make a stallion.” For one, there’s only so many mares “in play” in California, he said. “The majority of the mares are really controlled by the larger farms.” That, and the geographic location of Rancho Temescal, away from California’s breeding hub, was another factor. “It’s expensive to ship your mare. Then you’ve got to breed. And maybe she’s going to foal here. It gets expensive.” The farm’s geographic location, nestled deep in the heart of wildfire country, brings other challenges. The last wildfire that ambushed the ranch was back in 2005, “so I’m due one again,” he said. Not that he’s losing too many sleepless nights. “We built it conscious of natural problems.” Pastures are fitted with overhead sprinklers, “so, all we would just do is reverse them and they would throw water 150 feet in the air.” The barns and buildings sit isolated and alone, away from the hillsides and the brush. “Yeah, when there’s fire, we’re actually in the safest place.” It’s not just the wildfires that pose problems. “Where we’re located, we’re kind of on the cusp of too hot, too cold.” Avocados are particularly sensitive to heat and cold, and California’s scorching heatwave last summer wiped out about 95% of the crop. As for the lemon trees, Cohen must now contend with the Asian Citrus Psyllid, a Genghis Khan of disease-carrying invasive pests. “In Florida they lost a lot of their citrus because of that. We now have that bug.” As should be evident, Cohen’s not one for shirking challenges. To tackle the pesky Asian Psyllid, he’s turning to UC Davis for guidance. “There’s some hope of a wasp that may be a predator for it.” If the SoCal climate continues to change, gets hotter as anticipated, some of the avocados might go, replaced by more of the hardier citrus. And in terms of the horse business, Cohen said that he and his father could, for the first time, send horses to the East Coast. According to his father, Jed, Churchill Downs and New York are possible venues for patronage. The reason for this Eastward expansion is simple: the business models in other jurisdictions are more attractive than the one in California, he said. “It’s so poorly managed or mismanaged [in California],” he said. “It saddens me.” His frustration is borne from a genuine passion for the sport in California–decades ago, for example, he was the impetus for the formation of a California backstretch employees pension plan. “I love it–I’ve a wonderful history with the business. There’s a beautiful racetrack here [in Santa Anita]. But the management, it’s astonishingly bad,” he added, in a manner that implied both warning and plea. “It’s a love affair for me. But what about all the people who know nothing about this [sport]. We need to get them to fall in love with it as well.” View the full article

With sports betting in place and $10 million in annual purse subsidies from the state ready to kick in, there's the kind of enthusiasm for the upcoming Monmouth Park meet that promises to rejuvenate racing at the Jersey Shore. View the full article

The ongoing dispute between a significant group of horsemen and the Arena Racing Company (ARC) is heading towards conciliatory talks aimed at agreeing an acceptable level of prize-money at the group’s 16 British racecourses. A protest initiated by owners and strongly backed by trainers and jockeys has already seen walkovers at ARC-owned Lingfield and Sedgefield as well as one Lingfield race abandoned with no runners during the Winter Derby meeting on Feb. 23. On Wednesday, the same track will hold a depleted meeting of six races with a total of 19 declared runners, two of which have subsequently been marked as non-runners. Ten trainers are represented at the meeting and five jockeys are engaged to ride, with three of the contests being match races. Five ARC race meetings over three days, starting tomorrow (Wednesday), have been targeted by disgruntled owners and trainers making a stand against ARC cutting almost £3 million from its executive contribution to prize-money for 2019, a move which sees it potentially miss out on a further £4.5 million in extra Levy funding. An emergency meeting between ARC, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and representatives from the National Trainers Federation (NTF) and Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) led to confirmation on Saturday of a short-term agreement on the matter. ARC and the NTF have come to an arrangement over the restoration of prize-money for lower-grade races throughout March, thus unlocking extra contributions from the Levy. Talks will continue in an attempt to reach an agreement for the remainder of the year and a further meeting has been scheduled to take place today (Tuesday). The agreement was reached after entries had already been published for meetings on Wednesday and Thursday but races at the ARC tracks of Newcastle and Lingfield on Friday were reopened by the BHA. Trainer Ralph Beckett, a member of the NTF’s presidential triumvirate with Ann Duffield and Emma Lavelle, and who will take over as president in 2020, issued a statement on Monday, saying, “As horsemen and women, we are very disappointed for the general public that they will not get the show they deserve in the coming days at ARC tracks. We are pleased that owners initiated the widespread decision by so many individuals to demonstrate to ARC that the livelihoods of many trainers, their staff, and jockeys depend on reasonable prize-money levels. It is encouraging that it has been taken seriously, and we hope that we will not have to resort to such extreme measures in future. We look forward to constructive negotiations in the coming days and weeks, and hope that ARC and the RCA will now be open and transparent, so that together we can help secure the future of British racing with a funding model that works for all.” Among its portfolio, which includes Doncaster, home of the St Leger, ARC owns four of the six all-weather tracks in the UK and around 40% of the country’s fixtures. View the full article

Careers in Racing, the British Horseracing Authority’s careers marketing campaign, has launched a Volunteer Career Maker program to mark National Careers Week. Its aim is to enable the racing industry to have a greater reach into schools on a national level and provide students with a greater understanding of the career and job opportunities available in the sport. The programme will use a network of volunteers, to be known as Career Makers, to share their experiences with students at careers fairs across the country so they can hear the many advantages of a career in racing first hand. The BHA’s Head of Careers and Marketing Recruitment, Zoe, Elliott, said, “The best people to talk about the great career opportunities that racing can provide are those who have experienced it for themselves or who have a genuine passion for the industry–that was the idea behind the career maker programme. “It also means as an industry we can be visible at more school events than ever before, and we have already had lots of applications from people who want to spread the word about how fulfilling working in our sport and with horses can be. “Launching the programme in National Career Week, when the industry is coming together to promote working in racing, is a great platform for us to spread the message both to recruit more volunteers and to encourage schools to get in touch with us about their events. View the full article

G1 Sussex S. winner Lightning Spear (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) has had his first mare scanned in foal. Lightning Spear, who stands at Tweenhills Stud for £8,500, placed in a further seven Group 1s and has over 100 mares in his first book. Those include G2 Queen Mary S. winner and stakes producer Langs Lash (Ire) (Noverre), as well as the dams of Group 1 winners Total Gallery (Ire) (Namid {GB}) and Treasure Beach (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). David Redvers, Qatar Racing manager and owner and manager of Tweenhills, said, “Lightning Spear has a tremendous book of well over 100 mares and is the ultimate professional in his new career.” View the full article

Ascot racecourse has announced that its first meeting of the year, to be run on May 1 and formerly known as Sagaro Stakes Raceday, will be rebranded as Royal Ascot Trials Day. The first race on the card, a five-furlong contest for 2-year-olds, will be free to enter and will be known as The Royal Ascot Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes with a prize fund of £14,000. The winner of the race will also be given free entry to any of the six juvenile races at the Royal meeting. The six-furlong G3 Pavilion S., worth £80,000 and won two years ago by Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal), has also had a makeover and will become known as the Merriebelle Stable Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes, recognising its importance as a trial for the G1 Commonwealth Cup, which was introduced to the Royal Ascot programme in 2015. Blue Point was third in the Commonwealth Cup in 2017 before winning last year’s G1 King’s Stand S. The two-mile G3 Longines Sagaro S., which is also a qualifying race for the Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers’ Million, is now officially identified as a Gold Cup trial, while the listed Paradise S. over a mile is considered a trial for the G1 Queen Anne S. on the opening day of Royal Ascot. In total, there will be £227,600 in prize-money on offer for the seven races on the day. “We’re really excited about developing our first Flat meeting of the season into a Royal Ascot Trials Day,” said Nick Smith, Ascot’s Director of Racing and Communications. “It is a high-quality day of racing which regularly attracts some of the current and future stars of the Flat season and framing it as a genuine Trials Day will help to promote and enhance the day for horsemen, racegoers, sponsors and partners. “There is huge potential for the day to grow and we especially hope that the Royal Ascot Two-Year-Old Trial will prove popular, offering connections clear incentives to run their horses here and gain valuable experience at the track ahead of Royal Ascot in June.” View the full article

In 2018, Prince Of Arran (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) raced in five different countries for his Newmarket-based trainer Charlie Fellowes. Some of his best performances included him finishing third in the GII Belmont Gold Cup and G1 Melbourne Cup as well as winning the G3 Lexus S. in Melbourne. Prince Of Arran is back in full training after his winter break and Fellowes talks to TDN’s Alayna Cullen about his trail-blazing stable star. TDN: 2018 was an exciting year for you and Prince Of Arran. Just remind us what he achieved. CF: He ran four times in Dubai, won once, was second once and then he actually ran a really good race in the Dubai Gold Cup on World Cup night; he got too far back and ran on but the race was all over by then. Then he came back to England and finished seventh in the Chester Cup, probably over too far combined with the ground being a bit choppy. We then went out to America where he was third in the Belmont Gold Cup. He ran really well and that was the first time I really got a feeling that maybe two miles slightly stretches him. After that we came back to England and were second in the Northumberland Plate. We gave him a little holiday and went over to Australia where he was third in the [G2] Herbert Power S. at Caulfield, won the Lexus S. at Flemington and was then third in the Melbourne Cup. TDN: Why was 2018 the year for an international campaign? CF: He was five years old and his owners live in Dubai. They made it clear that when they send horses to me the Dubai Carnival is really where they want to have runners and so when Prince of Arran got to a mark of 104, I said, “Let’s go and let’s try him at it.” It quickly became very clear that he enjoyed traveling and so we decided to expand on that. I think it was in Dubai where we really hatched the plan that Australia, at the end of the year, could be ideal for him. So with that in mind it was all a case of trying to qualify for the Melbourne Cup, and to do that you have to place in a group race. That’s why we went to America. I thought it was the best place, or best chance he’d have to do it and when we got there and we got the invite to Australia. It was a no-brainer, so we headed over there. The foreign style of racing suits him better than in England. He loves a round track. He likes good ground, which you generally get in America and Australia, so it was a combination of those things. TDN: Of all his races last year, what was your personal highlight? CF: It’s a difficult question because automatically, I would say, ‘Don’t be mad, finishing third in the Melbourne Cup was amazing.’ But it’s a close-run thing between the Melbourne Cup and actually, the Lexus, three days earlier. The Lexus, purely because, if you’ve been to Derby Day, you’d understand what I’m talking about. On Derby Day the atmosphere is as good as the Melbourne Cup. It was packed and there was the added pressure that you had to win to get into the Melbourne Cup. When he won and we knew that we had qualified for the Melbourne Cup, it was sort of the combination of both: having a winner out there and getting into the Melbourne Cup. TDN: You mentioned that he loves travelling. Why do you think that is? CF: He’s very laidback, always has been. He’s very inquisitive and quite an intelligent horse and I think going to different places in the world, different scenery, different training places, keeps him interested. It keeps his mind ticking over and gives him something to think about. I think back in England, if he spent 365 days of the year doing the same thing, intelligent horses like him can get a bit bored. It’s been really good for his mind going to different places and he looks after himself, he would only put 120% in if he has to put 120% in and that’s really important. He’s also unbelievably sound, touch wood. In five years, I don’t think he’s taken a lame step, which is remarkable. TDN: How has he wintered and what is the plan for 2019? CF: Good, he’s actually got a bit of a winter coat on which is unlike him. Last year he didn’t grow a winter coat. But he looks great, he’s in really good form, he came back to the yard about six weeks ago and hasn’t missed a beat since then. The plan for 2019 is going to be slightly different from last year, I think. As I said, I just have a gut feeling two miles is his maximum trip and I’ve always thought that he was a bit soft and that he was best ridden patiently and then to work into the race. I think in Australia, one of the things we learnt was that actually he’s not that soft. He is a lot tougher than I gave him credit for and that you can be a bit more aggressive on him. So I think we’ll probably drop back in trip this year, maybe look at mile and a half, or a mile and six maximum, but ride him a little bit more aggressively than we have done in the past. He’s going to go to Dubai. He’ll run in the G2 Dubai City of Gold [on Saturday] which is a mile a half, and then we’ll see what we do on World Cup night. He’s got the option of the G1 Sheema [Classic] or the Gold Cup and he could go to either one, depending on what the two races look like. He will then come back to England and look at something like the Hardwicke S. over a mile and a half at Royal Ascot. Then maybe look at something like the GI Canadian International abroad before heading down to Australia again for the Melbourne Cup. TDN: What does Prince Of Arran mean to you and the team? CF: Well firstly, to me, he’s raised my profile a huge amount and for a small yard and a relatively young trainer that is crucial because it’s not easy. To the yard, it’s very hard not to fall in love with him because he’s such a character. Out on the heath he has his tongue out and he shakes his head and he’s not a nasty horse. He’s got a really lovely personality, very playful and it’s just very hard not to fall in love with him because he’s an incredibly endearing character. TDN: You’ve already had runners in Dubai this Carnival season, it’s been a bit of a bittersweet meet for you. CF: It has been bittersweet because we sent two horses over there and they both achieved exactly what we wanted to achieve. Escalator (GB) was too fresh and gassy on this first start but then was unbelievably impressive to come from last to first to win in his next. Sadly, in a piece of work, he came back with an injury that’s going to rule him out for up to a year. Hopefully he’ll be able to come back from it. He looked incredibly progressive so this injury has come as a bit of a blow. Then Mia Tesoro (IRE), I don’t know what happened to her first time out, we felt maybe the ground wasn’t right for her as maybe they put a bit too much water down. She likes it rattling quick and she just never really got into the race. She had another month and she ran a brilliant race to finish second to Poetic Charm (GB), who is a very good horse. But that happened 12 hours before Escalator injured himself which put a downer on things. View the full article

Whether its International racing or Uk and Irish action you are after we cover it all and have Daily Horse Racing offers available for you to get involved in. Check out today’s Horse Racing Offers below. UK Horse Racing Offer – Money Back All Losers if the Favourite Wins! On one race every day we […] The post Daily Horse Racing Offers – Monday 4th March appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Addressing your thoughts, questions and statements about Hong Kong racing. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPost.How good is this Waikuku? He’s a beauty! Won in great style from a deep draw and top weight over 1,800m for the first time. Bring on the BMW Hong Kong Derby now – @Shaheel07The overwhelming thought from many on Saturday was that we had just seen the Derby winner.Waikuku’s run was everything you would want from a contender – overcoming the outside gate, carrying the… View the full article

Jockey Chad Schofield is looking to turn around the fortunes of talented galloper Naboo Star and make a good impression on Happy Valley master Caspar Fownes at the same time on Wednesday night.Fownes has given Schofield a handful of rides of late and he looks to have a strong chance of landing a winner for the trainer after also securing the booking of last-start winner E Master.It comes after Schofield piloted Fownes’ Southern Legend to a strong second placing in the Group One Hong Kong Gold… View the full article

Trainer John Sadler said March 3, two days after Nolo Contesto finished a well-beaten second as the 3-5 favorite to Roadster in a first-level allowance at Santa Anita, that the Pioneerof the Nile ridgling could take one shot at a Derby prep in April. View the full article

Hronis Racing's Edwards Going Left didn't have much go his way early in the $100,000 Tiznow Stakes at Santa Anita Park March 3, but by the end of the one-mile dirt test, he completed what may have been the top effort of his career. View the full article